A day after Vincente Padilla drilled the Mark Teixeira twice in-between throwing batting practice to the Yankees, the Rangers starter finds himself amongst America’s unemployed. From D Magazine’s Evan Grant :
With the club up for sale, the Rangers are likely not in a position to add significant amounts of salary without paring off some significant salary obligations of its own. While RHP Kevin Millwood is also due $12 million this year, the team has been pleased with the way he™s set a tone for the other pitchers on the staff. Millwood can lock in his option for 2010 by reaching 180 innings this season. Millwood has pitched 78 innings in his first 11 starts.
Padilla, 31, is in the final guaranteed year of a three-year contract worth approximately $32 million. There is approximately $8 million more due to him on his 2009 salary. The club also holds an option for 2010.
Padilla wasn’t the only high profile starter to hit the waiver wire today. Earlier, the cost-conscious Braves congratulated 305 game winner Tom Glavine on a scoreless, 6 IP rehab assignment by releasing the left-hander.
I got Hanson on my teams! Yeah!!
I just read a clip today about A.J. Burnett being fined for throwing at a Ranger and the GM insists that Padilla has not been released. It could just be that he hasn’t been notified yet but I though it was worth mentioning.
http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/burnett-suspended-six-games-and-plans-appeal/?ref=sports
WFAN was on this one at about 10am. I’m hardly upset over anything bad happening to Burnett, but this is kind of ridiculous. Much like Beckett’s suspension for throwing over the head of Bobby Abreu, the new MLB line seems to be intentionally hitting a batter isn’t nearly as egregious as almost hitting them. No one’s ever been killed or maimed by a pitch that didn’t touch them. Amazing that Padilla and the Rangers escape discipline in this instance.